How to Run Facebook Ads for an App

Quick Answer

To run Facebook ads for an app, use the App Promotion objective with the Meta SDK installed in your app. Optimise for App Install (cold) or App Event (warm, like signup or purchase). Target lookalikes of paying users where possible. Budget $50-300/day to start. Expect CPI of $1-4 for casual apps, $4-15 for utility apps, $10-40 for fintech and dating.

SDK first, ads second

You cannot run app install ads properly without the Meta SDK installed. The SDK lets Facebook attribute installs back to clicks, fire app events for optimisation, and use SKAdNetwork for iOS post-ATT. No SDK means no proper tracking, which means the algorithm can't learn.

If you're using AppsFlyer, Adjust, or Branch, they integrate with Meta's SDK automatically. Set this up before your first dollar of spend.

App install vs app event optimisation

Optimisation	When to use	Audience
App installs	Day 1, no events firing yet	Broad
Mobile app installs (cold start)	Pre-launch, soft launch	Broad
App event (Trial Started, Purchase)	After 30+ events fire	Targeted lookalikes
Value optimisation	After 50+ purchase events	Premium audiences

Always start with App Install, then switch to App Event optimisation once you have 30+ events of the type you want.

Creative for app ads

App ads live and die on creative. The format that works:

15-30 second gameplay or in-app footage
Vertical 9:16 only
First 2 seconds show the most exciting moment
App icon and "Download Free" overlay in the last 3 seconds
Captions for sound-off viewing

Three angles to test:

In-app demo (show what the app does)
UGC reaction (someone using and reacting to the app)
Result/transformation (before/after using the app)

Run each as a separate ad, kill the bottom 50%, scale the winners.

Targeting

For a brand-new app, go broad. Single ad set, no interests, single country. Let the algorithm find users.

After 50 installs and 30 events, layer:

Lookalike 1% of paying users
Lookalike 1% of users who completed onboarding
Stacked interests in your category

iOS-specific: SKAdNetwork limits granularity, so don't over-segment. Two or three ad sets is enough.

Campaign template

Campaign: [App Name] – Installs
Objective: App Promotion
Promote: [Your app from Meta App ID]
Optimisation event: App Install
Daily budget: $100 (Advantage CBO)

Ad Set 1: Broad
- Age: 18-45 (adjust by app category)
- Single country
- No interests

Ad Set 2: Lookalike (after data exists)
- 1% LAL of installers
- 1% LAL of paying users
- Same country

Creatives:
- Ad 1: 15-sec gameplay/demo, vertical
- Ad 2: 30-sec UGC reaction
- Ad 3: 20-sec problem-solution vertical video
- Ad 4: Static screenshot carousel

CTA: Install Now

CPI benchmarks

App category	iOS CPI	Android CPI
Casual games	$1-4	$0.50-2
Mid-core games	$4-12	$2-7
Utility apps	$3-10	$2-6
Productivity SaaS	$4-15	$3-9
Health and fitness	$3-10	$2-7
Dating	$5-25	$3-15
Fintech	$10-40	$6-25
Crypto	$15-60	$8-30

Beyond installs: ROAS

Installs are vanity. The metric that funds growth is Day 7 ROAS or Day 30 ROAS. Track:

Cost per install (CPI)
Day 1 retention rate
Day 7 retention rate
Day 7 ROAS (revenue per install in first week)
LTV/CAC ratio

If Day 7 ROAS is over 0.5, scale aggressively. Under 0.2, fix retention before pouring more budget in.

iOS post-ATT realities

After ATT, only 25-40% of iOS users opt in to tracking. Meta uses SKAdNetwork to attribute the rest, but with delays and limited granularity. To deal with this:

Use Meta's Aggregated Event Measurement (AEM)
Prioritise the events you care most about (max 8 per app)
Expect attribution to lag 24-72 hours
Compare ad-attributed installs to total installs in your MMP daily

What kills app ads

Skipping the SDK install
Optimising for installs forever instead of switching to events
Generic creative (app icon + screenshot = dead)
Targeting too narrow on day 1
Killing campaigns on day 2 before the algorithm learns

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